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Sheeeite! Over here, you’re not allowed to feed the pigeons in many towns and cities, but that’s because they’re seen as vermin, and feeding only them attracts more.
What does this say about how Orlando (the city, not Bloom) views the homeless?

michaeld: one rationale might be that distributing free food in a public park would attract large numbers of people, so the park would be crowded to a point where others would be unable to make use of it. Not sure how plausible that is, I’d have to see the location. Of course, the local government could simply licence organizations to distribute food somewhere else…like maybe a shelter or soup kitchen?

#3; As I’ve hinted at above, it appears that Orlando (the city, etc.) see the homeless as vermin. By this rationale, they’re assuming that, just as with real vermin (rats, pigeons, etc.), if the food source is removed, the vermin moves on. Feed the vermin though, and word soon gets around; before you know where you are you can’t move for ’em.

permits for groups distributing food to large groups in parks within two miles of City Hall

Presumably feeding large groups in parks is fine as long as it’s done far enough away so legislators don’t have to see it? I wonder what upsets them more, the sight of homeless people or that of people being charitable.

Well, if they arrest you for being homeless, then you’re not homeless anymore…are you?

While you may find this a laughing matter, I assure you, it is not to those that are cited under this law. People accused of violating the ordinance would get a summons to appear in court and face a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and 60 days in jail. Pretty fucking harsh for being homeless. Then when you can’t pay the fine, you are thrown in jail for failure to pay.

Furthermore, Polk County has book-in fees of $40.00 and daily rates for inmates. They confiscate this amount from your belongings when you are booked if you have it. If you don’t, they bill you and if you don’t pay, they will arrest you. This is a business.

….but heaven forbid that anyone or anything insufficiently Christian ever sully Polk County by its presence.

I assume they only sell a special edition of the Bible there — you know, with all the passages about feeding the poor and freeing the captives and justice for the oppressed, left out? There was this chap called Jesus (or at least legends of such) who used to talk about that….

Right-wing politicians have come right out and compared the poor to animals. One of them had a heart-warming story about his grandmother (or some such) who taught him “don’t feed the stray animals; they just breed”. The meaning was clear.

Well then, let’s just bring back debtor’s prison, shall we? And while we’re at it: indentured servitude, public stocks, maybe even with whippings and letting the crowd throw garbage at the offender — all the wondrous features of 17th Century justice.

I don’t know which is worse, the law against feeding the needy or the fee scheme for time in jail. Is the fee scheme a result of privatization? Or just one more way to cut the taxes for the wealthy while the poor are soaked into despair?